These Top-Tested Lap Desks Make Working From Home Even Better (2024)

The Home Office Pro Lap Desk from Lap Gear can easily accommodate a 13-inch laptop with some room to spare. We like that it includes a mouse pad, wrist pad and a phone holder for ergonomic comfort (though we did note that the phone slot is shallow, so your phone can slip out if you move too much).

It sat comfortably in our tester's lap, thanks to two pads on the bottom. He enjoyed this design more than a full pillow bottom because his legs weren't completely covered, and it gave him space to move around.

It comes in eight different color variations so you can match your aesthetic. A built-in handle allows you to easily carry the desk wherever you want to work. The brand also offers a version without a wrist pad for a slightly lower price.

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Lap Gear's Designer Lap Desk is not only chic, it's also very comfortable and affordable. The bottom is a full pillow, and some of our testers preferred this soft design. The pillow has microbead filling, so it’s easy to fluff and make more comfortable in certain areas of your lap if necessary.

The desk itself has multiple features to make it more functional: There’s a ledge for your laptop or book to rest against, an elastic band to hold papers in place and a slot for a phone or small tablet.

Our 13-inch laptop fit perfectly; the brand claims the desk works for up to a 15-inch laptop, and we did note extra space. Unfortunately, there is not enough room for a mouse.

The pillow includes a handle, and the whole thing weighs only about 2 pounds, so you can carry it around quite easily. One takeaway if you plan to use the desk for computer work rather than writing or reading: Your phone will be hidden behind the laptop, so it makes it a bit harder to access.

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Our experts love that this pick is not a typical lap desk: The pillow is detachable, so you can use the lap desk with the soft cushion for working or remove it to convert the surface to a breakfast tray. While it does look like a breakfast tray more than it does a lap desk, it's open on one side to allow easier access for working.

The pillow is comfortable thanks to its microbead filling, which allows you to adjust parts of the pillow to make it more comfortable on your lap, and its detachability means it's easier to clean. The overall size was perfect for our 13-inch laptop, and the brand claims it can fit up to a 15-inch model.

Our tester found it was heavier than other lap desks they had used, but reported that not uncomfortable thanks to the handles on either side. They also liked that the dual handles mean you can carry the lap desk with things on it, unlike a typical lap desk with just one handle.

Looking for a real wood desk instead of plastic? Try this acacia desk from Rossie Home. We weighed it against the same style made from plastic, and it is two pounds heavier. That might not seem like a lot, but it can add up when sitting in your lap for a long period of time. The surface is quite spacious, with a width of around 21 inches. It fit our 13-inch test laptop just fine, with space for a larger laptop if needed.

The built-in mousepad makes it easier to work, and the corner strap allows you to hold any loose papers or notes. There's also a built-in phone slot and a wrist support, which we found comfortable for typing.

The desk itself comes in three different color variations: Natural Acacia, Ash and Java. The pillow includes a handle that makes it easy to transport the desk.

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This lap desk is heavy duty. The desk surface sits above your legs, and the whole thing lays across two couch armrests (hence the name Couchmaster!). We haven't yet tested it, but we like the thoughtful features for gaming: It states that it can fit a 17-inch laptop, and it has built-in vents to help keep your laptop cool through long gaming sessions.

It also includes a mousepad, so you don’t have to use the laptop's trackpad to game. The tablet/phone holder above the mousepad is handy as well.

This lap desk comes with several side pockets, allowing you to place remotes, controllers and other gaming accessories. We like that the desk itself is adjustable, so you can place it closer or farther along the cushions to find the most comfort.

The size of this lap desk does make it more complicated to store out of the way. And the brand states that it weighs around 10 pounds, which is significantly higher than most lap desks, which tend to be around two to three pounds.

Not everyone wants to sit at a desk all day. Maybe you work better on your couch with a little background noise (hint: your TV), or maybe you just love spending time in your bed. A lap desk allows you to do work in these spots, without needing a proper desk to sit at.

Some lap desks can can elevate and angle your laptop, so that you’re not leaning forward to look at your laptop while it is on your lap. Your laptop also needs proper airflow to prevent it from getting too hot (a common occurrence when you just use your laptop in just your lap).

While we mainly talk about using these lap desks while working, they're also great for browsing the web while watching TV, or even gaming with friends. These desks could even just be used as a proper desk without a laptop, say if you are an artist or just love taking notes by hand.

✔️ Size: If you plan to use the lap desk with a laptop, you should make sure that the computer will fit. If you plan to use it for writing or drawing, make sure that your hand can rest comfortably on the desk. Note that larger lap desks can be heavier and may be harder to store when not in use.

✔️ Comfort: If you don’t enjoy working from your lap, consider a model that has legs. These versions sit above your lap, not on it. If you don’t mind working with something in your lap, look for a cushioned pick. Lap desks that have pillows or bolsters on the bottom provide a soft feeling and can conform to your legs while you work. And because cushioned models sit directly on your lap, you can not only use them on a couch or a bed but also in a narrow chair.

✔️ Extra features: Some lap desks are simply a work surface, while others have electronic ports and chargers, drawers, even adjustable sections to make it easier for you to type and use your computer while working. We also appreciate ergonomic features like wrist pads, mouse pads and phone holders that make working for a long period more comfortable.

After researching countless lap desks, we settled on 10 popular models to evaluate in our Media and Tech Lab. We used them throughout the workday, noting any discomfort in our laps. We factored in the weight and any convenient features.

We used a 13-inch laptop as a baseline, and we employed a mouse where possible. We also considered retail reviews and discussions on online forums.